ballfield orientation

[Dave Wilton]

> Page Stephens writes:
> "......... it would be dangerous to the batter if he had to
> look directly into
> the sun and might not be able to get out of the way of an
> errant pitch....."
> ~~~~~~~
> Wouldn't it be equally dangerous for the pitcher, given the
> possibility of
> a line drive up the middle?
> A. Murie

While there is some danger to a pitcher from line drives, the risk to
batters is much greater. Batters get hit by pitches far more often than
pitchers get hit by batted balls.

But the motivation behind the layout of ballparks is more likely due to
making it easier for batters to hit the ball. In the early days of baseball,
pitchers were not so much considered defensive players as simply a man who
tossed the ball in order for the batter to hit it into play. There is a host
of rules regulating what can be positioned behind the pitcher and what
pitchers can wear on their sleeves, all designed to make sure the batter has
a fair chance at actually seeing the ball so he can hit it. Safety is
important, but secondary to promoting high batting averages.